


Of all People

by Misskiku



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Canon Compliant, DressedinPinkShipping, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 08:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misskiku/pseuds/Misskiku
Summary: This is a tribute & birthday fic for my friend Kagura, the artist of Cauliflower boy, I love you! comics on Tumblr and Twitter!These are two of my favourite scenes (the former being the first I ever saw of Kagu's) and I hope I did them justice!The first scene is from Part 3: Galar Mine No.2 and the second scene from Part 5: I'm sorryCheck out her work on Tumblr: https://kagura-arts.tumblr.com/and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kagura8999
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	Of all People

**Author's Note:**

> Since this fic isn't part of the canon of my own bederia fics, it won't be a part of my 'bederia goodness' series.  
> BUT KAGURAS COMICS ARE GREAT TOO SO PLEASE CHECK OUT HER WORK!!!!!

The strings of Bede's heart had begun to pull, begun to unravel, long before he had noticed. Unbeknownst to him, a certain someone had wormed their way under his skin. Slipped between the cracks in his walls with that energetic smile. 

She always appeared out of nowhere, suddenly and unexpected, getting in his way time and time again. Acting overly friendly, as though there was anything between them. In the depths of Galar Mine No.2, Bede stared in dismay at the country girl before him. 

"You've got to be kidding me…" Bede clicked his tongue, a sharp sound of annoyance, as irritation snapped into place. "Why are you here?!"

Gloria didn't react to his biting tone, instead giving him a flat look. 

"Hey, relax. I'm searching for Kabu, just like you."

Bede didn't have enough patience or willpower to deal with her today. Not with his pulse spiking in vexation at the mere sight of her, his body stiffening reflexively. He whirled on his heels to march away. 

"Alright. Bye, then," he said curtly. 

"Bede, wait!" 

The call of his name made him pause. Regretfully. His feet slowed to a stop against his will. 

"Let's search for him together!" 

Too bright. Too cheery, too innocent and happy and- 

_ "No."  _ Barked through clenched teeth, he snapped at her without turning around. 

"Why?"

At her insistence, Bede sent a glare over his shoulder. "Why would I stay with you? I told you; we're not friends." 

She tilted her head slightly, staring right through him. Unphased by the venom in his tone. 

"But we have a greater chance of finding him together," she said. "That has nothing to do with friendship, right?" 

Her words hit true. Her point was fair and keener than he'd given her credit for, and he turned away from her with a huff. 

"Fine, whatever." 

He would put up with her for now - force himself to if needed - if it meant finding Kabu and getting out of here, away from her, sooner rather than later. 

He sighed to himself as he walked off, hearing Gloria's footsteps right behind him, and knew without looking that she was smiling. Grinning, even. 

"Great… the Gym Leader is missing and now this…" he muttered to himself before speaking to Gloria. "Also, there are a lot of wild Pokemon here disguised as Pokeballs." He turned to face her. "So, we need to be careful-" 

"Oh, a Pokeball!" 

Her hand descended on a bright, shiny red Pokeball in the dirt, glinting steel teeth encircling the bait. Bede reacted instinctively. A surge of panic burst in his chest, searing up his throat with a cry of-

"-Gloria!"

He grabbed her without thinking. Snatched her hand away from the jaws a split second before they snapped shut around her delicate fingers. A hand snug around her waist, Bede yanked her away from the vicious Stunfisk. He tugged her back with enough force, in his panic, to pull her flush against his chest. 

He froze in that instant. 

"Wah!" Gloria yelped as Stunfisk snapped at the empty air where her hand had been a second ago. "That was scary!" 

She was warm. Warm and soft against him, a sweet smell tickling his nose, and he couldn't move. His body, his brain, had ceased to function. Stunned into silence by his actions, frozen stiff as she glanced over her shoulder to look at him, their eyes meeting inches apart. Too close. 

"Thanks, Bede," she said, his name sounding all the more sweeter on her tongue in that moment. "I owe you one!" 

It stole the air from his lungs. His eyes widened exiguously, fixed on her breathless smile, the giddy relief on her face, and  _ had she always been this cute? _

Rich brown eyes, round cheeks slightly flushed, soft pink lips pulled into a smile, it was as though he'd never seen her - never looked at her - like this before. 

Gloria stared back at him blankly. "You can let go of me now," she said, raising an eyebrow. "He's gone." 

Bede lurched back, hands thrust in the air, releasing her with a start and a painful thump of his heart against his ribs like a thunderous drum. Distracted by the glow of light from an opening into the cave, Gloria perked up. 

"Ah, light!" She trotted away quickly. "Come on, Bede! I think I found him!" 

He staggered a step. Clutching at the front of his jacket, fingers winding into the fabric over his heart, Bede stumbled beneath the surging feelings inside his chest. Heat burst and crackled to the tips of his fingers. A blazing blush swept across his cheeks, his heart beating at a dizzying, cantering pace, leaving him winded and unable to think. 

_ What…  _

_ What was that…? _

He'd been struck by lightning. Struck by her, by Gloria, by something unthinkable and abrupt, and he'd never felt this way before. Insides buzzing and churning, chest fluttering and heart skipping. Unable to comprehend how, or why, he felt like this. 

How Gloria, of all people, could do this to him.

* * *

It was the look on her face that stayed with him. The hurt in her eyes when he'd snapped at her, stealing his wrist - his watch - away from her grip. Regret cracked over his heart like ice and so, when he saw her lingering outside the Gym on a bench, he knew he couldn't leave it like that. He couldn't leave her like that, swishing a Pokétoy from side to side listlessly for her Yamper. 

Two cold drinks in his hands, he approached her, trying to think of something, anything, to say. Gloria straightened, catching sight of movement in the corner of her eyes. 

"Hey…" Bede pressed the cold can to the side of her face, his insides churning uncomfortably. Regretfully, once again. "This is for you. Take it." 

Gloria winced from the touch of cold metal, before her eyes widened. "Bede?" 

She looked between him and the soda can for a moment, her expression softening as she accepted his offer gratefully. The tab flipped open with a hiss and Gloria drank from it with a delighted smile. Bede glanced at her for a moment before casting his gaze elsewhere. He sipped at his drink slowly, still standing by the side of the bench.

"So, I heard you beat Kabu," he said, attempting to sound nonchalant. 

Gloria hummed happily. "Yup! I just got my badge." 

"I see…"

Silence fell between them, the air awkward and stale. Bede tightened his grip around the bitingly cold can, fumbling over the words on his tongue before managing to speak and break the tense atmosphere. 

"Look, I'm sorry," Bede began, making Gloria glance up at him in quiet surprise. "I shouldn't have… yelled at you last time."

The memory was a dagger of ice in his chest. Cold and painful.

"I appreciate the present, but I can't take off my watch." He held up his arm, the too-large watch sliding down his wrist. "This watch is important to me. So, whenever someone tries to touch it, I lose my temper." 

"It's fine," Gloria said quietly, her gaze dropping to the can she held in her lap. "Honestly, I owe you an apology." 

Her unexpected words drew his eyes back to her, and he caught sight of heavy sadness sweeping behind her eyes. 

"I tend to be too friendly to people, so a lot of them seem to think I'm annoying," she continued. 

The heavy weight in her voice stunned Bede into silence, his heart sinking. 

So, I understand if you don't like me," she said. "Don't worry. I won't bother you anymore." 

A breath froze in Bede's lungs. He turned to her with a start, panic spiking his pulse, his mind tossing and fumbling over what to do, and how on earth he'd given her the wrong impression. He dropped onto the bench beside her with a huff, making up his mind. 

"Okay, firstly - don't compare me with other people. I hate it." 

His voice came out strained. Stiff. 

"And secondly…" 

Bede turned his face away from her as his cheeks began to burn. 

"I don't… dislike you." 

His honesty, the words he admitted, hung in the air for a moment where all Bede could hear was his heart pounding in his chest. 

"You don't dislike me?" She stared at him, her eyes widening, and she gasped. "Does this mean we're friends?!" 

His heart skipped - no, it flopped. It leapt dangerously hard, right into his throat, lodging in place so he couldn't breathe. He couldn't think when Gloria took his hands, when she leant close, her eyes sparkling and dazzling in awe. 

"Is that true, Bede?!" she pressed, holding tight to his hands. "Are we friends?!" 

A strangled sound escaped Bede's throat as she leant even closer, right into his personal space, and he turned his head to the side. Unable to meet her gaze, to even look at her, when she was this close. 

"F-Fine, I guess we are," Bede relented. If only to satisfy her, to get her off his case and away from him. 

That's all. 

"Really? That's so-" 

"-Hey, you there!" 

Gloria and Bede turned as a journalist and her cameraman approached. The woman held a microphone in hand, holding it out towards them. 

"You two are Gym Challengers, right?" the journalist asked, smiling professionally.

Bede sent the woman a flat look. "Yes, and?" 

The microphone was shoved right into his face. "We'd love to do a quick interview so the public can get to know you better!" 

Bede's irritation spiked. "And why should I waste my time on you? Us battling is all they need to see anyway." He shoved the microphone back. "Now get this microphone out of my face and shove off." 

The journalist and her cameraman blanched before stalking away. Bede huffed. There was no end to the cameras, interviews, nosy people with too much time on their hands. 

He turned back to Gloria, to where she had been a moment ago, and found nothing but empty air beside him. 

"Where did she…?" 

A hand gripped the back of his jacket. Bede glanced over his shoulder to see Gloria cowering behind him, crouching low, an uneasy frown on her face. 

"Wh-Why are you behind me?!" Bede barked. 

"Sorry…" Her voice was quiet, wobbling. "I just wanted to hide from them." 

"Hide?" A realisation clicked into place, and Bede's lips pulled into a teasing smirk. Amusement bubbled in his chest. "Don't tell me, you're afraid of cameras? And you want to be the Champion?" 

He leant over to get a better look at her where she shrunk behind him. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink. 

"I'm not afraid," she protested, "I just don't like them." 

Her defiant mumble, the cute pout of her lips and the sweet blush on her cheeks was too much. Heat coursed up Bede's neck to flood his face, and he straightened, masking his flush with his hand. 

"W-Well you need to work on that!" he snapped. 

_ Arceus. _

_ She was so…  _

He didn't finish that thought. He couldn't, wouldn't, let himself go there. Not now. Not yet, not for a long time, not until he could swallow his pride and admit to himself what this was. What he felt towards her. 

That he had fallen in love with her. With Gloria, a simple girl from Postwick, of all people. 

One day, he would admit that to himself. 

And to her.


End file.
